User Experience Evaluation of SAE Level 3 Driving on a Test Track

Studies on imminent Take-Over Requests (TORs) in automated driving have mainly addressed safety aspects rather than user experience (UX). In this study, we investigated the fulfillment of user needs during SAE L3 driving on a test track. Participants engaged in non-driving related tasks (NDRTs; using a smartphone or the auditory modality) had to respond to critical TORs to prevent an accident. Our results, based on qualitative methods, show that participants expect L3 vehicles to be safe and confirmed this assessment after the test track experience. Furthermore, participants preferred NDRTs using the auditory modality over the smartphone to maintain situation awareness. Our study indicates that drivers may behave responsibly in L3 vehicles, provided they are supported with user interfaces that fulfill their psychological needs.